Sunday, 21 June 2015

Temptations too strong to resist: part 2

Most of the guilty crew, I would say 99% were never caught for their crime. Many have retired and have stocked up their home with the stolen goods. If the authorities were to raid their houses, I believe many will be caught. Some had accumulated enough liquor to last them a life time.

The 1% who were caught and paid for their crime were the very unlucky ones. The old timers may recall that a particular CS stole so much of the aircraft stuff that he opened a provision shop to sell them. He stole liquor, wines, champagne, beer, tea bags, coffee powder, tissue and toilet papers,cutlery, plates and service wares etc etc and sold them in his shop.
On his flights, he would not distribute the "give aways" or souvenirs to his passengers and packed them home to sell. As someone said if they could cart off the air plane engines they would have done so.
There was one who was nicked named "The Sleeping Buddha" because he was caught by his crew for sleeping in an aircraft toilet during a night flight. He stole and stole for many years until one day he was caught red-handed with a first class wine decanter.
Another one, an IFS slipped the net at Bangkok Don Muang but got his CS into trouble for helping him cart off several bottles of whisky, brandy etc. This IFS retired without being apprehended while his CS became a waiter in a fast food restaurant.
Another CS's apartment was raided by the authorities after a tip off by a whistle blower. He had in his apartment dozen bottles of Dom Perignon champagne, wines and other liquor. He was sacked instantly.
Not long ago, an IFS was charged in a European court for trying to smuggle Dom and caviar stolen from the aircraft. His fellow colleauge was sacked for bringing into a foreign station a bottle of whisky which he was supposed to drink with a stewardess. Another,when caught by the authorities cleverly asked his well-connected passenger friend to help him.

There were also instances where the crew would sell the liqour on board which were meant for passengers' consumption.